Steering mechanism for vessels



Sept. 10. 1940. H. c. BRIGGS 2,214,655

STEERING MECHANISM FOR VESSELS Original Filed 001;. 10, 1936 IN V EN TOR.

d ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 10, 1940 STATES PATEN orrica @rt a STEERINKGMECHANISM FOR, vEssELs Henry C. Briggs, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Original application October 10, 1936, Serial Nb. 105,112. Divided and this application June 11,

1937, Serial No. 147,780

' "40mins. (o1.114 147) vide an improved construction of navigation control mechanism by which steering oflarge vessels, submarine boats, andaircraft may be facilitated.

Another object of my invention to provide a method of constructing a vessel having means associated with compartments in the vessel for displacing the fluid medium at positions along the vessel for facilitating thenavigation of the vessel.

A further object of my invention is to provide an arrangement of maneuvering .apparatus for vessels by which added driving power and extra speedmay be obtained by the .use of auxiliary the specification hereinafter following by referpropulsion means normally housed in streamline arrangement in compartments along the vessel.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an arrangement of maneuvering apparatus for vessels in which propellers are disposed in compartments along the vessel in the bow, sides, in the StCI'IIyOI in the bottom of the hull with streamlinedoors arranged to open or close-the compartments for the admission or discharge of the fluid medium through which the vessel is propelled- Other and further objects of my inventionreside in the arrangement of auxiliary propulsion mechanism for ships as set forth. more fullyin ence tthe accompanyingdrawin in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view showing an arrangement of compartments below the waterlinein the stern of a vessel and housing the propulsion means bymeans of streamlined doors taken on line |-l of Fig. 2; Fig; 2 is a longitudinalsectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 through-oneof the compartments with the aft compartment door in open position so that the propulsion means in the compartment is directlyexposed tothe water through which the vessel is navigated; Fig. 3 illustrates the auxiliary propelling mechanism of my invention mounted in a compartment adjacent the bow of a vessel, the view being taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a-horizontal sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 3 and showing the streamlined doors on opposite sides .of the compartment which houses the auxiliary propelling mechanism; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of avesselin which both the bow and stern are equipped with the auxiliary propelling mechanism of my invention; Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 1-4 of Fig. 8 of a vessel inwhich the auxiliary propulsion compartments are located at positions -iary propellers IE6 and I01.

along the vessel for facilitating the navigation of I provide means auxiliary to=the main propulsion means of the vessel for providing additional driving power for the vessel for facilitating maneuvering of the vessel. I provide compartments below the waterline in the bow or stern of the vesselor along the vessel. Propulsion means are provided within, the compartments. Streamline doorsareprovided to open and close portions of the compartments for allowing ingress and egress of thewater through which. the vessel is propelled. 1 The streamline doors may be constructed from armor plate for aiTording maximum protection tot-he propulsion means. The propulsion means may be suitably oriented within the compartments in order to impart maximum effectiveness to the propulsion means. the propulsion means through electric motors or through suitable .transmission mechanism within the vessel. p

- In Figsland 2, I have shown methods of arranging the auxiliary propellers in separate commay be opened or closed by remote control, as

hereinbefore. explained in connection with the sliding doors on the hollow rudder. The compartments I04. and H15 are watertight and may be selectively employed in the maneuvering of the-vessel by the selective operation of the auxil- Propellers I06 and I? are operated by suitable drives I08 and H19, controlled from the control position aboard the vessel. I may locate these compartments in spaced positions at the bow, in the sides, in the stern or in thebottom of the hull of the vessel.

The compartments may be demountably connected to the prow of the Vessel as represented in Figs. 3 and 4.. I have indicated the lower portion of the hull at .l. The compartment 96 is watertight and has a substantially Wedge-like inher bulkhead which cuts the water as it comes from the auxiliarypropellers and throws it to the sides. The bulkhead however may extend laterally of the vessel or be provided with some other convenient shape. -I-- provide a'pair of streamline 'door closures 98 and 99 at the starboard side ofcompartment ilfi, I mount one or more auxiliary all propellers as represented at I02 and drive the propellers in a manner similar to a method of drive hertofore explained, such as through motors I03, or' by direct mechanical means. A single door may be provided at each side of the compartment, if desired. Various components of maneuvering forces may be obtained by coordinating the drive of the auxiliary propellers in different parts of the vessel.

The maneuvering propeller may be located in various positions ith respect to the hull of the vessel. For examples illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the propeller mechanism as heretofore described, may be housed in the hollow rudder 9 with respect to the hull of the vessel I, and coordinated for operation with respect to the main propeller 3 and, in addition, other maneuvering propellers may be provided. In order to illustrate the several embodiments of my invention I have illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, an auxiliary propeller compartment in the skeg, as shown at 81 in Fig. 5, in which auxiliary propeller 88 is housed. To further facilitate the maneuverability of the vessel, I may provide a compartment 89 in the stern of the vessel in whichla pair of auxiliary propellers 90 and 91' are symmetrically arranged. Moreover, a rudder may be provided forward of the vessel, as indicated at 92. For additional control of the vessel, a compartment may be provided in the prow of the vessel, as indicated-at 94, in which auxiliary propeller 95 is located. It will be understood that separate controls extend from the several auxiliary propellers to the control position aboard the vessel and the operation coordinated'so that the maneuvering of a vessel of large size, is greatly simplified. A vessel of large size, of the order of 37,000 tons, drivenby 200,000 horse power engines may be maneuvered quickly and within a smaller area to change the course of the vessel, thus increasing the safety of life and property.

I may arrange the auxiliary propulsion means in compartments in spaced positions along the vessel as illustrated in Figs. 'land 8. In this arrangement, the hull of the vessel I is provided with port and starboard compartments l0 and -H within which the separate propulsion means -l2 and'ld are'located. Separate driving means for the propulsion means l2 and I4 may be provided as indicatedat i5 and IE or the propulsion means may be driven from a position within the vessel. vide a forward streamline door H and a rear streamline door 88 which may be opened and 'closed through suitable remote control mechanism from a control position 'within the vessel. In thestarboard compartment H, I provide a forward streamline door I9 and a rear stream- .linedoor Zilwhich may be selectively opened or closed in order to facilitate maneuvering and propulsion of the'vessel. Other methods of loeating these separate compartments in spaced positions may be employed, for example, in the sides of the hull similar to the arrangements in the, bow and stern illustrated in Figs. 1 and. 2. Suitable orientation means may be provided for effectively directing the propulsion means in a suitable position for the proper maneuvering of the vessel.

This application is a division of my copending application SerialNo. 105,112, filed October In the port compartment I0, I pro- 10, 1936, for Safety mechanism for improving the dirigibility of ships, submarines and aircraft.

While I have described my inventionin certain preferred embodiments, I desire that [it be understood that modifications maybe made and that no limitations upon my invention are in? tended other than are imposed by the scope of the appended claims. I

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. Mechanism for maneuvering vessels comprising in combination with the hull of a vessel, a floatable body structure attachable to the hull of the vessel below the waterline, said floatable body conforming in streamline relationto the shape of the hull of the vessel, 'apropeller device mounted within said floatablebody struc ture, means for driving saidpropeller device, and streamlined closure members mounted in the walls of said attachable floatable body structure for controlling the entry and discharge of Water through said floatable bodystructure un der the action of said propeller device.

2. Mechanism for maneuvering vessels "com prising in combination with the tapered prow of a vessel, an attachable underwater compartment having a wall structure conforming to the tapered prow of the vessel and adapted to be detachably secured thereto beneath the waterline, propelling mechanism mounted within said underwater compartment, means'for driving said propelling mechanism, and streamlined closure members for opposite walls of said compartment for controlling the admission and discharge of sea water into and out ofsaidr" compartment when said propelling mechanism is being driven.

3. Mechanism for maneuvering vessels comprising in combination with the hull of a vessel, a floatable body structure attachable to the hull of the vessel below the waterline, said floatable body having wall portions conforming in stream line relation 'to the shape of the walls of the hull of the vessel and abutting each other'i-n sur face contact, a propeller device mounted within said floatable body structure, means for driving entry and discharge of water through saidfioatable body structure under the action: of said propeller device.

4. Mechanism formaneuvering vessels-com} prising in combination with the tapered prow of a vessel, an attachable underwater compartment having a bulkhead conforming to the tapered prow of the vessel and adapted to be detachably secured thereto beneath the waterline with the bulkhead of said compartment extending in surface contact with the tapered prow of the vessel, propelling mechanism mounted within said underwater compartment, means disposed within said'compartment for driving said propelling mechanism, means for orienting said propeller device to a selected plane of operation within said floatable bodyaand streamlined closure members mounted in the walls of said attachable floatable body structure for controlling the entry and discharge of waterthr'ough said floatable body structure under theaction of said propeller device. I HENRY C. BRIGGS; 

